The Boardwalk Detectives Club
Crack the Case
One Choice at a Time
The Boardwalk Detectives Club
A Mystery Worth Solving
Twelve-year-old Harper knows two things for certain: she loves the ocean, and she’s not quite brave enough to swim in it yet. Alongside her best friends Jose, whose photographic memory misses nothing, and Lily, whose homemade gadgets usually work, Harper spends her summer at the aquarium and along the boardwalk of her seaside hometown — until the night something not-quite-ghostly comes crashing through the haunted house.
Strange thefts start piling up. The arcade’s favorite game vanishes. Harper’s own brother, Wes, becomes the prime suspect. And when her beloved friend Ollie the octopus disappears from his tank, Harper knows it’s time to stop wading and start investigating.
With every letter, readers help decide what Harper, Jose, and Lily do next. Each choice pulls them deeper into the mystery and closer to figuring out who’s really behind the boardwalk’s strangest summer yet.
Meet the Detectives
Harper
The Sea-Loving Sleuth
Curious, sharp, and a little stubborn, Harper dreams of becoming a marine biologist and volunteers at the local aquarium every chance she gets. She’s braver than she thinks even if she’s still working up the nerve to swim past her knees.
Jose
The Photographic Memory
Easygoing and quick-witted, Jose is Harper’s best friend and the trio’s built-in evidence locker. Once he’s seen something, he never forgets it. A natural swimmer and surfer, he’s determined to help Harper get past her fear of the water.
Lily
The Gadget Genius
Part inventor, part arcade champion, Lily builds gadgets for solving mysteries: footprint trackers, fingerprint kits, and whatever else the case calls for. They don’t always work perfectly, but they usually work well enough to crack the case wide open.
Want to Know More About Our Heroes?
The Boardwalk Detectives Club shaped by your Choices
Join Harper, Jose, and Lily on the Case
In The Boardwalk Detectives Club, every letter pulls kids into the trio’s investigation along a boardwalk full of secrets; among them, haunted house scares, stolen arcade prizes, hidden clues, and a missing octopus who needs his friends more than ever. Kids guide the detectives’ next move through every twist and turn.
Three Detectives to Cheer For
Meet Harper, Jose, and Lily — a marine-life lover, a sharp-eyed surfer, and a gadget genius whose friendship and teamwork crack every case.
Boardwalk Mysteries Await
From a “haunted” house that’s hiding more than ghosts to a heist at the aquarium, each letter unveils a new clue or suspect waiting to be uncovered.
Their Choices Shape the Story
Every letter ends with a decision! Your child chooses what the detectives investigate next, making them part of the case.
Reading and Curiosity
Each chapter sparks imagination and builds literacy skills through fun, mystery-driven storytelling that keeps kids turning the page.
Screen-Free Storytelling
Rediscover the joy of anticipation with letters that inspire excitement and pure, hands-on sleuthing without the scrolling.
Courage and Kindness Lesson
Every story weaves in values of bravery, teamwork, and standing up for the people you love, helping kids grow while they solve the case.
Every Choice Shapes the Investigation
Real Choices, Real Impact
Each letter ends with a choice that lets kids think, decide, and influence what happens next. Their decisions change the direction of the case — building confidence, creativity, and a sense of ownership over the mystery.
The Backstage Choice
Should the detectives chase the mysterious figure fleeing out the back exit, or rush upstairs toward the voice calling for help?
The Aquarium Alarm
When Ollie vanishes from his tank, should Harper sound the emergency alarm, or follow the fresh trail of water and sand before the trail goes cold?
Curious Minds Ask
Frequently Asked Questions
How does it work?
Pick-A-Path Letters is an interactive, pick-your-own-path story delivered by mail. Each series begins when your child receives the first letter — introducing a new world, new characters, and a quest that’s just getting started. At the end of every letter, there’s a choice to make. Scan the QR code on the letter, or reply directly to your Pick-A-Path reminder text — either way, that decision shapes what arrives next.
Letters arrive twice a month, so the story unfolds gradually — building anticipation with every delivery.
What’s included?
Every Pick-A-Path Letter includes a beautifully illustrated, professionally written story chapter — plus a choice at the end that determines what arrives next. Each mailing also includes coloring pages so your child can bring their favorite scenes to life.
Letters arrive twice a month for the duration of the story.
How do I make a choice?
At the end of each letter you’ll find a QR code. Scan it with your phone and you’ll be taken straight to the choice page — where your child decides what the hero does next. Prefer not to scan? You can also make your choice by replying directly to your Pick-A-Path reminder text.
What happens if I forget to make a choice?
No stress — we’ve got you covered. A reminder text arrives a few days after your letter, and if no choice is made we’ll follow up every couple of days after that.
If the deadline passes without a choice, your story still continues. We’ll automatically select a path so you never fall behind — and the adventure keeps going.
What ages is Pick-A-Path Letters best for?
All Pick-A-Path stories are designed to be kid- and family-friendly, so you never have to worry about age-appropriate content.
Each story has a suggested age range based on reading level. Younger kids love having the letters read aloud so they can still take part in choosing what the hero does next. And older kids? They tend to take the choices very seriously — which is half the fun.
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This is Just the Beginning
The adventure doesn’t stop with one tale. More Pick-A-Path stories filled with new heroes, magical lands, and exciting choices are on their way.
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